Piano-pedal.



PATENTBD MAY- 31, 1904.

G. MERRITT.

PIANO PEDAL.

APPLIOATION FILED MAY s. 190s.

NO MODEL.

fn V672 2751". Q01/don Marmi??? UNITED STATES Patented May 31, 1904.

GORDON MERRI'IT, OF RIDGEWOOD, NEW JERSEY.-

FuNc-PEDAL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 761,087, dated May 31, 1904i Application iled May 8, 1903. Serial No. 156,145. (No model.)

To all, whom, t may concern:

Be it known that I, GORDON MERRITT, a citizen of the United States, residing in Ridgewood, in the county of Bergen and State of tional construction for a pedal, enabling such article to be made of a plurality of parts, and

provides, furthermore, simple means for enabling the parts of the pedal to be rigidly connected one with the other.

` In carrying the present improvements into practice the different sections of the pedal may be made in dierent ways. Thus, for instance,

one of the portions-for example, the footpiece of the pedalmay be cast, while the shank portion may be stamped or bent fromv -sheet metal.

I do not, however, wish to limit the scope of the present invention to any particular manner of making the parts of the pedal, as they may all be made by substantially the same method or operation as well as by different` A further feature of the invention relates to means for supporting the pedal, to thereby enable it to properly function and perform its intended purpose.

The present improvements provide a resilient pedal-support, which not only operates to hold the pedal in proper position for playing, but also returns the same upon the removal of the pressure of the operators-foot.

In the drawings accompanying the present specification I have disclosed an embodiment of my present invention.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly in section` of a piano-pedal in whose construction the present improvements are embodied. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of that end of the shank-section of the pedal which is adapted to be engaged with and firmly connected to the foot-piece thereof. Eig. 3 is a corresponding view of the portion of the .foot-piece constructed to engage with the pedal-shank. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section showing the two sections of the pedal engaged one with the other. Eig. 5 is a perspective View of the spring pedal-support provided by the present invention.

Similarfcharacters of reference designate corresponding parts in all figures.

As already set forth, the present invention provides a construction for making a compos- `ite fpiano-pedal-that is, one huilt up or made from a plurality of separate sections or parts. In the present instance such sections comprise separate foot and shank sections so formed as ,to permit the two to be readily connected with each other. The former section/is designated in a general way by 2 and' the latter by 3. Various means may be employed for connecting the separate sections of the pedal; but'l preferably some species of interlocking construction is used for the purpose. A convenient and inexpensive pedal construction comprises a shank portion having a bifurcated end, the two projecting' members of which bifurcation are somewhat resilient, enabling projecting ears or lugs thereon to be sprung into receivingsockets in the footpiece.

In the lparticular construction illustrated the bifurcated end of the shank portion is so formed as to present a p ai'rv lof projecting tongues 4 4 at the sides of theshank, which tongues are substantially parallel, as indicated in Fig. 2, the shank portion being somewhat curvedorbent to arc shape in cross-section. Each tongue 4 is providedY with a laterallyprojecting ear or lugjadapted to enter a corresponding receivinglsocket in the side of the footpiece and which may be effected by slightly springing the tongues together and forcing the shank backward into the foot-piece to cause the aforesaid ears 5 to engage with their receiving-sockets 5() therein.

The construction is preferably such that the upper surface of the shank will be substantially flush with the adjacent upper surface of the foot-section, and for this purpose the parts may be so organized that when the aforesaid ears spring into their receiving-sockets the end of the face 6 will abut against the bottom of the recess between the tongues 4 4. 1n order to further strengthen the structure, the foot-piece is provided with a projection 7, offset from the face 6 a sufficient distance to lie on assembling the parts under the upper thickness of the shank portion and carrying at its forward end an ear or lug 8, adapted to engage with a receiving-socket 9 in the shanksection.

The method of assembling the two sections will be apparent from the foregoing description. After the shank has been thrust inward between the side of the foot-piece to cause the lugs 5 5 and 8 to engage as aforesaid these latter may be riveted or headed down to prevent their withdrawal and cause the parts to be firmly held together.

Another feature of the present invention relates to a resilient or spring-like support for a piano-pedal, this support being of such a nature as to perform the dual function of permitting the swinging movement of the pedal as well as effecting' the return thereof after the pedal has been pressed down by the foot of the operator and the pressure thereon released. Such support in the form and construction thereof illustrated comprises a spring-strip having a somewhat elongated base 10, provided with openings 11 for securing the support to the ioor 12 of the piano. From both ends of this base the spring-strip extends upwardly and inwardly toward cach other, (see the portions 13 13,) while the upper ends of these latter are then bent outwardly to form contact portions 14 14, which are designed to be secured directly to the pedal, openings 15 in such portions being provided for the passage of clamping-bolts 16 16. The portions 14 14 are broad enough to span the distance between the opposite edges of the pedal-shank, while at the sides they are provided with inwardly-bent keepers 17 for,

prccluding lateral movement.

The bolts 16 16 pass through proper openings in the pedal, a series 18 thereof formed in the Lipper part of the pedal-shank providing a capacity for the positioning of the springsupport near to or farther away from the footpiece of the pedal.

Constructed in this manner a simple and inexpensive means is provided for manufacturing a composite or sectional pedal and for readily supporting a piano-pedal in such a manner as to enable it to satisfactorily perform its function in the instrument.

Having described my invention, I claim- 1. A new article of manufacture` consisting of a piano-pedal comprising a separate footpiece and shank portion, the latter having a bifurcated end adapted to engage with the foot-piece.

2. A new article of manufacture, consisting of a pianopedal comprising a foot-piece formed with receiving-sockets anda separate shank portion having projections adapted to enter between the sides of the foot-piece and ears on said projections adapted to engage with the receiving-sockets in the foot-piece.

3. A new article of manufacture, consisting of a piano-pedal comprising a foot-piece having a forward projection provided with a laterally-projecting lug and which foot-piece is formed with receiving-sockets, and a separate shank portion provided with projections having lugs adapted to engage with the receivingsockets in the foot-piece and also provided with a receiving-socket for the lugon the forward projection of the foot-piece.

4. A new article of manufacture, consisting of a piano-pedal comprising a foot-piece having a forward depressed projection provided with a laterally-projecting lug and which footpiece is formed with receiving-sockets, and a shank portion provided with projections having lugs adapted to engage with the receivingsockets in the foot-piece and also provided with a receiving-socket for the lug on the forward projection of the foot-piece.

5. A new article of manufacture, consisting of a piano-pedal comprising a foot-piece provided with receiving-sockets in opposite sides and a forward depressed projection having a laterally-extending lug at its forward end, and a separate shank portion provided with a series of cut-away portions disposed longitudinally thereof and which shank is formed with projections having laterally-extending lugs adapted to engage with the receiving-sockets in the foot-piece, the shank portion having also a receiving-socket for the lug on the forward projection of the foot-piece.

6. A new article of manufacture,:consisting of a piano-pedal combined with aspiring-support formed from a strip of spring metal having reversely-bent ends, the extremities of which are secured to the shank of the pedal.

7. A new article of manufacture consisting of a piano-pedal comprising a shank portion formed with cut-away portions disposed longitudinally of the shank, in combination with a spring-support comprising a bent strip of spring metal, and clamping-bolts for securing' said support to the pedal whereby the positioning of the clamped support along the pedal may be effected at different points.

8. A new article of manufacture consisting of a sectional piano-pedal, the shank portion of which is secured to the foot portion and is formed with cut-away portions disposed longitudinally of the shank, in combination with a spring-support comprising' a bent strip of spring metal, and clamping-bolts for securing said support to the Apedal whereby the positioning of the clamped support along the pedal may be effected at different points.

9. A new article of manufacture consisting of a sectional piano-pedal comprising a shank IOO IIO

IIS

portion and a foot portion secured thereto and which shank portion has a series of perforations in its upper part, combined with a resilient support formed from ak bent strip of metal, and clamping-bolts adapted to pass through the perforations in the shank portion of the pedal whereby the positioning of the clamped support along the pedal may be effeoted at different points.

GORDON MERRITT.

Witnesses: Y

FRED. J. DOLE, JOHN O. SEIFERT. 

